Gravity hinge



June 24, 1930.

G1 H. ANDER-son 1,767,111

BY YW' Patented June 24, 1930 UNITED-STATES PATeNroFFlcE GUSTAVE HILDING ANDERSON, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T THE HART VtV HUTCHINSON COMPANY, 0F NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORA- TIoN or coinvnc'riou'r` GRAVITY HINGE Y Applica/tion. filed September 23, 1926. Serial No. 137,220. i

may be convenientlyembodiedlin practice.

Fig. 1 represents a `front view, partly in section, ofthe gravity hinge, together with portions of a door and door post to which the hinge yis attached.

Fig. 2 is an edge viewjof the same. Fig. 3 is a front viewrof the complete door and door post showing 'the gravityl hinge applied thereto. 1 v j Referring now to the drawings in, which like reference numerals` denote` corresponding parts throughout the several views, 4the numeral indicates a swinging door which is adapted` to be rotatably connected' to a door post 11 byvmeans of an upper' simple hinge 12 and a lower gravity hinge 13.V `The hinges 12 and 13 are provided -with angular brackets 14 and l5 which have vertical arms adapted to be secured to the post 11, -as by screws 16. The horizontal arms of the brackets 14 and 15 are provided with vertical apertures 17 one ofrwhich is clearly shown in Fig. 1. The top of the door 10 is provided near its inner edge with a vertical pintley 18, whichis adaptedto tit loosely within the aperture 17 of the upper bracket 14, `whereby saidpintlelS will be permitted `to slide freely up and down as the door opens andcloses.

t The gravity hinge 13 is provided with a stepped 4shaft 19 locatedwithin and rigidly supported by the horizontal armof the lower bracket 15.` The stepped shaft 19 has three cylindrical sections 419, 20, and 21, the formerhaving the smallest and the latter the largest diameter. The cylindrical sec* tion 19v1 ofthe shaft19 is adapted to lit within the aperture 17 in the lower bracket l5 so that the shoulder formed 'between the stepped sections 19a and 20 of the shaft willy rest upon the top of the horizontal arm ofthe angularbracket 15..y The bottom of the shaft 19 is threaded a.t22.to 'receive a nut 23 which serves to rigidly holdsaid shaft in any desired adjusted position. Y For convenience in manipulating the shaft when it is desired to twist it to a new ad# justed position, the intermediate portion of the shaft 19 is 'provided with a pair of parallel flat sides 24 and 25 adapted to` be engaged by a wrench or other tool. Y y

The top section 21 ofthe stepped shaft 19 is provided with an inclined face25a'from which extends a pintle 26, said pintle having its base lying partly within and partly Without the body of the enlarged section 21 and being provided with a shoulder 26a. Surrounding the pintle 26 is a ball-bearingwraceway comprising an inner annulus 27 and an outer annulus 28. The-inner annulus, 27 is tightly tted upon the inclined pintle 26;,

--while the outer annulus v28 is rotatably mounted with respect to said inner annulus by means of a series of anti-friction balls 29.

In order to movably support the Adoor 10 upon the stepped shaft 19, said door is provided on the inner end of its lower edge with a bracket 30, saidjbracket being secured to said door, as by a screw 31. The bracket 30 is provided with a tubular depending skirt section 32 surrounding'v the upper portion 21 of thestepped shaft 19, whereby dust or .other injurious material will be prevented from entering .the interior of the gravity hinge 13. i

The bracket 3 0 is provided at its upper endl with a pair o f oppositely beveled dat sections 33 and 34 which are adapted to embraceopposite sides of the lower edge of the door 10.

In order-'to support; the' bracket 311 upon the Vstationary part of. the gravity hinge, provision is made of a slightly lrounded, wedge-shaped knife edge 35, said knife edge Vhaving an upper rectangularjsection 36,

which isSeCured, as by Va crew 37, tothe front of the skirt section 32. The wedge member is adapted to lie in Contact at all times with the outer annulus 28, and to normally rest at the lowermost section thereof when the door is in closed condition.

In operation, when the door is swung open in either direction, the bracket 90 together with the wedge member 35 will turn about the pintleQG4 carrying the outer annulus 2S with it.V During this movement, the outer annulus 28 will rotate with respect to the inner annulus 27, elevating the bracket 30 to a position depending upon the angle to which the door has been opened. vWhenA the door is released, the weight thereof will cause the knife edge tov travel down again until the door reaches its normal closed position.

lVhile therehas been disclosed in this specification one form in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that this form is-shown for'thepurpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not to be limited to the specific disclosure but may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit. In short, the invention includes all the modifications and embodiments coming within: the scope of the followingclaims.

Having thus ful-ly described the invention, what is claimed as new, and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent, is:

l'. In a gravity hinge, a bracket member adapted to besecured to a door, a second bracket member adapted to be rigidly secured to a door post, an inclined pintle on said second bracket, an annular ball-bearing raceway on said pintle, and means on said first bracket for engaging the lower edge of said raceway whereby said door will' return by gravity to closed position after being opened.

2. In a gravity hinge, an inclined pintle adapted to be fiXedly secured to a door post, an anti-friction member mounted to rotate on said pintle, a bracket secured'to the bottom of a door, said bracket having a tubular depending skirt section surrounding said inclined pintle, and a wedge-shaped member engaging said anti-friction member and adapted to raise the door when it is swung in either direction, said door being adapted to be returned by gravity to its normal closed position after being opened.

3. In a gravity hinge, an inclined pintle adapted to be iixedly secured to a door post, an anti-friction member mounted to rotate on said pintle, a bracket secured to the bot'- toin of a door, said bracket having a tubular clepen ilingskirt section surrounding said inclined pintle, and a knife edge carried by said tubular depending` section for engaging said anti-friction member and adapted to raise the door when it is swung in either direction, said'door` being adapted to be returned by gravity to its normal closed position after being opened.

4. In a gravity hinge, a bracket adapted to be attached to a door post, a stepped shaft having itsflower end fitting Within said bracket, an inclined pintle on the top of said shaft, an annular anti-friction member rotatably mounted on said pintle, means secured to a door for engaging thelower portion of said ,anti-friction member and adapted to move u-p around said pintle to raise kthe door when it is. swung inV either direction, said door being adapted to return by gravity to its normal closed position after being opened.

j 5. In a gravity hinge, a bracket adapted to be attached toa door post, a stepped shaft having its lower end fitting Vwithin said bracket, an inclined pintle on the top of said shaft, an annular anti-friction member rotatablyz -mou-nted on said pintle, and a Wedge-shaped member engaging' said antifriction vmember and adapted to raise the door when `it is swung in either direction, sa-id doorlbeing adapted to be returned by gravity to its normal closed position after being opened. l

l 6. In a' gravity hinge, a bracket adapted to bev attached to a door post, a stepped shaft having itsl lower end fitting within said bracket, an inclined lpintle ony the top of said shaft, an annular member rotatably mounted on said pintle, ball-bearing, antifriction means mounted on the top of said shaft and surrounding said pintle, and a wedge-shaped member engaging-'said antifriction Vmeans and adapted to raise-the door when it is swung in either direction, said door being.Vy adapted to be returned by gravity to its'normal closed position after being opened 7; Ina gravity hinge, an inclined pintle adapted to be'fiXedly-secur'ed to a door-post,

an anti-friction member mounted to rotate on said pintle, a bracket secured tothe bottom of a door, and a wedge-sliaped member engaging said anti-friction -member and adapted to raise the door when itis swung in either direction, said door being adapted to be returned by gravity to its normal closed position vafter being opened.

8. In a gravity hinge, an inclined pintle adapted to be iXedly secured-to a door post, a bearing membermountedlto rotate on said pintle, a bracket securedf to the bottom of a door, and a Wedge-Shapedinember engaging said member and adaptedlto'raise the door when it is swung in either direction, said door being adapted to be returnedby gravity to its normal closed positionV after being opened.

9.*In a gravity hinge, a bracket adapted to Vbe attached to a door supporta-a shaft supported by said bracket, an annular antifriction member rotatively mounted on an inclined axis on said shaft, a Wedge member secured to a. door` resting upon said anti- 'frietion member and adapted to move upwardly to raise the door when the door is swung in either direction, said door being adapted to return by gravity to its original position after being opened.

In testimony whereof, I have afxed In signature to this specification.

GUSTAVE HILDING ANDERSON. 

